First district Cong. Edgar Chatto appears in a Facebook Live episode of Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Change Pathways, where he tackled the need for plastic use regulation as a means to curb the rising problem of plastic pollution in the country. Contributed photo
First district Rep. Edgar Chatto called on the passage of a plastic regulation law and at the same time conduct a massive information and education campaign (IEC) on plastic pollution to the public.
“Plastic pollution is a significant and growing threat to the earth’s climate. The House of Representatives has already declared a climate and environmental emergency. So let us already pass the national bill on the plastic regulation into law and conduct an intensive information and education campaign throughout the country,” Chatto said.
Chatto participated in the 42nd episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Change Pathways,” with the theme “The Single-Use Plastics Problem: Perspective From Policymakers.”
According to Chatto, health and climate change are interrelated and requires behavioral change.
“If we practice not using plastic as a way of life, it becomes a system for everyone,” he stated.
“The first priority is to pass the law regulating the use of plastic to have a national framework, then we inspire more local initiatives, and ensure local governments exercise supervision on policy implementation,” he added.
Chatto also shared Bohol initiatives such as the passage of the Bohol Environment Code when he was Vice Governor, the establishment of the Alburquerque Sanitary Landfill, and best practices in Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM).
He was among speakers of the said episode alongside Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, chairman of the House Committee on Ecology – Technical Working Group on Single-Use Plastics and Representative of the Third District of Negros Occidental; and Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City, Albay, Focal Person for Environment and Climate Change of the League of Cities of the Philippines in the episode organized by Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda.
Shown on Facebook Live on Climate Change Commission PH page, the episode was part of the Earth Day 2021 Webcast, “PINASiglang Mundo.”
The Earth Day Webcast was organized by the Climate Change Commission, Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Office of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, and The Climate Reality Project Philippines, and in collaboration with the Break Free from Plastic Philippines coalition, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of the Interior and Local Government(DILG), Local Government Academy, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, and British Embassy Manila, with support from the League of Cities of the Philippines, the Phil. Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainability Development Inc. and Odistry.
In Bohol, Chatto also graced via Zoom the Earth Day activities where the Provincial Government through the Bohol Environment and Management Office awarded local government units with best practices in ESWM.
Recognized by the Provincial Government for their outstanding ESWM programs were the towns of Trinidad, San Miguel, Ubay, Talibon, Duero, Loboc, Catigbian, Albur, Balilihan, and Candijay.
The Bohol Plastic Free Movement also celebrated its anniversary with a forum before the awarding of towns with best practices in ESWM in Bohol as part of the celebration of Earth Day.